Lead

A Palestinian family in the village of Asasa, near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, says Israeli settlers forced them to exhume and rebury their father’s body just hours after his funeral. The settlers claimed the cemetery land belonged to the nearby Sa-Nur settlement, a recently re-established outpost. The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the incident, calling it “appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians” in the Occupied Territories.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from Al Jazeera and the BBC paints a consistent picture of the events but with differing emphasis. Al Jazeera’s coverage focuses on the UN condemnation and the broader context of settler violence, while BBC’s report provides a detailed personal narrative from the affected family, including first-hand accounts and mobile phone footage. All three sources agree on the core facts: the family was threatened, the grave was dug up, and the body was reburied in another cemetery. The BBC adds that the Israeli military denies giving reburial instructions, saying soldiers were sent only after receiving reports of the incident.

Key Claims

  • According to all sources, an 80-year-old man, Hussein Asasa, died of natural causes on Friday and was buried shortly afterward in a cemetery in Asasa village. His son, Mohammed Asasa, said the burial had been coordinated in advance with Israeli security forces, which provided necessary permits.
  • Shortly after the burial, settlers threatened the family, claiming the land was part of an Israeli settlement and that burial was not allowed. The family said they had no choice but to comply after the settlers threatened to use a bulldozer to exhume the body themselves.
  • Mobile phone footage shows family members and settlers at the grave, with some settlers armed with heavy hand tools. The Asasa family says the settlers had already dug down to the body by the time they arrived.
  • The UN Human Rights Office described the incident as part of a wider pattern of “dehumanisation of Palestinians,” a quote carried by multiple sources.
  • The settlers were from the settlement of Sa-Nur, which, according to the BBC, was recently re-established as part of Israeli government’s controversial decision to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. Under international law, such settlements are considered illegal.
  • The Israeli military denied giving instructions for the reburial, according to the BBC, saying soldiers were sent to the area after receiving reports. This statement has not been independently verified.

Perspectives

Palestinian Family and Villagers

The family, led by Mohammed Asasa, describes the ordeal as humiliating and traumatic. They insist the cemetery is village land and that they tried to negotiate with the settlers before complying. Their account is supported by mobile phone footage and the testimony of other villagers.

Israeli Military

In response to the BBC’s queries, the Israeli military said it did not give reburial instructions and that soldiers were dispatched after receiving reports. The military’s account is not detailed in the available coverage, and it does not address the family’s claim that soldiers were present and pressured them to move the body.

United Nations

The UN Human Rights Office called the incident “appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians,” framing it within a broader pattern of settler violence and human rights abuses in the Occupied Territories.

Broader Context

All sources note a rise in settler violence in the West Bank, with attacks surging since Israel launched its war on Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023. The re-establishment of Sa-Nur is presented as part of Israeli government policies that international law deems illegal.